The Hambone King
by The REAL FanFic Contributor
Summary: My prediction/version of the Victorious episode, "The Hambone King" Robbie is sick and tired of the others thinking he is just a guitar picking and singing baffoon and cannot produce any other talent. Robbie shows them by revealing his hamboning gift. This evolves quickly when another student claims to be better than him and challenges him, revealing some unexpected things.
1. Scene 1: Hidden Talents

_Hello! I've come back to the Victorious fanfiction community to write a somewhat quick prediction of the upcoming episode, The Hambone King. Why am I doing this (You may ask)? Well, initially, it is my job to write about all the episodes, but lately, if I don't feel like doing it (LAZY!) or the episode doesn't have enough for me to be interested in writing or I can't build anything around it, I will just write about certain episodes. Two reasons why I chose this one: 1.) To be honest, I've been eager to see this episode ever since I heard about it. The title alone is definitely intriguing. Can't wait to see it! 2.) I have mentioned this before if you are from the Cabbie or Victorious Wiki that I have figured out some things for this episode (oddly enough.) and I'm going to leak some of the stuff I know into this fanfiction (Note: this may not be accurate, so don't get your hopes up). Hope you enjoy what I create! _**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Dan's work or Victorious or Schneider's bakery (haha, Sponser!).**

* * *

The Hambone King

Robbie entered Sikowitz's classroom for the first period of the day, fiddling anxiously with the early-blooming rose tucked in his long, striped shirt. He blushed madly as he settled it into place and jumped at the obnoxious nose coming from his backpack.

"Are we in the classroom yet or what? It smells like your nasty feet in here!" Rex barked in Robbie's backpack. Robbie grunted irritably and plopped his backpack on a chair in the back of the classroom. Unzipping the bag and lifting Rex out, Robbie sighed nosily as he replaced his bag with his body and propped Rex in his lap.

"Just for today, will you behave yourself? I want things to be special," he pleaded, beginning to trail away at the touch of the rose petals, imagining his desired scene. Rex "ehhed" out loud and Robbie shook his head. "You should be glad I decided to bring you back to school in the first place (It's true. Robbie wanted to be able to let Rex go. The puppet was always so heartless to him, but still, Rex was pretty much his only true friend, the one who got him. Throwing Rex away would be throwing a piece of himself to the trash)."

"Whateva' I just want to get through with this and head to lunch. I'm craving some tatter tots!" His arrogant style was grinding on Robbie's nerves, but he managed to drown the stress away whenever he caressed his fingers over the rose's veins. It really enlightened Robbie's heart to think about how this non-particular day could go sky high with his offering. To just walk up to the cute little red-head and hand her the rose. To see the bright, dimply smile on her face and maybe have her see he cares. Robbie almost accidentally plucked a petal from the rose when his past attempt slammed into his mind. Cat can be unbearably stubborn, though, as she hurt Robbie that one night when she decided to play blonde to win that Evan guy. It's still pricked Robbie when he thought about it. He had took his time to write a song devoted to her, cared for her verbally, and put his heart out on the line, yet she was too oblivious to recognize that. Even to see Robbie's pain. He wished his love song worked, it was his only way of professing his feelings passionately, but after much thought and deciding to take the whole situation as "Cat's blinded heartbreak", Robbie figured it would be a more ingenious plan to simply get Cat to fall in love with him. Sure, it was a long-shot plan, but he was willing to take a try.

With the generously nurtured flower cupped in his fingers, Robbie had been lost in the meaning of it. It was dark, solid red, resembling Cat's unique hair. It was petite and fragile, as Cat is tiny and sensitive, but most importantly, it was the loveliest of all the roses he picked out from his mother's garden, just for her beauty. Indeed, Robbie was so wrapped in his poetic thoughts that he didn't even notice Sikowitz's bearded face just inches from his bobbing, far-away grin.

Robbie blinked. "Ahhhhh!" He shrieked like a girl and fell backwards to the hard floor and all the other students laughed mightily.

"See class!" Sikowitz enthused, making his way back to the stage and taking in their cheers. "That is how you take someone by surprise."

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with acting?" Andre questioned.

Sikowitz gave an innocent shrug and giggle, "nothing, I just wanted to mess with Robbie and his googily-eyes!"

"Ohh, Robbie spacing about a girl? Who?" Jade had to trample in with her intriguing smirk and Robbie's friends turned their heads to him.

He was still on the floor scrambling as he ached terribly in the head and nearly "eeped" when he saw the rose on the floor. Hastily, he snatched it and jumped back to his seat, "nothing, I was just tired from Rex's rambling from last night!"

"Hey man, you don't need to drag me into this!" the puppet protested back, but Robbie just shook the suggestion furiously.

"Okay back to the actual lesson!" Sikowitz declared like Robbie's situation was nothing (he could have been bleeding and Sikowitz would have ignored it with a wave of his hand). Sikowitz hiked closely to the board and slapped his hand over the text he wrote. "Children, you must all remember that an important part of acting... will always be... that you brush and floss your teeth daily, because acting directors want a person who has sparkly teeth and glorious breath."

The class exchanged glances, eventually compiling it up into a puzzled stare and Tori decided to comment, "um, I'm not sure if that really does, but okay."

"Alright-y then! You can all go for today, I'm sick of ya'!" Sikowitz said jokingly.

The class was bemused again. He really doesn't seem to be able to tell time. Although, it was a monday, so they weren't going to object and the class started packing up.

"Oh wait a minute, wait a minute!" Sikowitz waved his arms frantically as if there was some type of huge emergency and everyone stopped and stared. The old man then burst out into a cackle, "I forgot to mention, there is going to be a talent competition coming up soon, a reflection where one can express themselves in any given talent they have. It's really fun and can showcase your skills, hidden talents maybe."

The class, being as they are religiously an acting and artistic class, burst into a riveting conversation about the project forehand and Sikowitz chuckled at their joy. "Yes, yes," he added, "it's amazing... I would know as when I was about your age, I entered a competition like this myself... and won."

"Whoa? Really? That's cool," said Beck cooly and he looked over at Andre.

"Yeah, for sure."

"You were once our age?" Jade repeated in disbelief, unable to suppress the devilish smile. _Hm... that sounds like something Cat would say,_ Robbie had to note.

Sikowitz knitted his fuzzy brows, but Tori cleared her throat to keep the conversation going, "what did you do to win?"

"Oh, right, I submitted a video of myself juggling torches..." Sikowitz seemed squeamish as his next words slowly tumbled out, "and then things started to go weird from the video on."

"Ohh, like what?" _Of course! That's like Jade to ask something like that, _Beck thought crossly, although he wasn't sure why.

Sikowitz uttered strange noises in something akin to shame. "I... started taking my shirt off and rubbed jam on my belly... really sexy like."

The class was speechless in disgust and Tori dropped her jaw, "...eww, why?"

Again, shame hung over Sikowitz and he chuckled to lighten the awkward, "I was high on that coconut juice again."

The class was filled with mixed groans of "surprise" and some type of sympathy and Tori couldn't help the smile on her face. "Well, about that competition, I think it would be fun for all of us to participate, and by all of us, I mean the main gang."

"Yeah, that would be cool," Andre nodded smoothly then stretched out his curled fingers in the position of piano playing. "I could jam out on my piano."

Tori pointed at him in agreement, "yeah, and I could sing along with you."

Beck lifted his arms. What the heck, he'll join! "I could perform some deep acting. That should impress them."

"Yeah, you tell yourself that as if you could," Jade remarked and looked upward dreamily before Beck glared at her. "I could do a horror flick, like a sequel to _The Scissoring _or something... that movie was jus-ju, pure genius."

The gang was getting pumped up for this festival and Robbie felt his grin stretching wider with their thoughts, "yeah, yeah, and I could do some singing and play on my guitar, accompanied with my harmonica, and-"

Robbie immediately stopped when his friends' stares turned from interesting to... he would like to say disturbed. Robbie crumpled under the looks, "what?"

Beck looked at the others to see if they wanted to respond, but for the typically silent guy, it was all on him, "look Rob, it's just, you always do the same, bizarre thing and if you're aiming to win, your going to need to do something different."

"Wait what?!" Robbie was completely and truthfully shocked at this out of the blue response and his insides were already swelling up with panic. "Are you saying I'm not good at the guitar?"

"No-"

"Yes! Terribly!" Typical for Jade to crush Robbie's hopes and dreams.

Andre narrowed his eyes at her mischievous behavior, "no man, we just think you should explore a real talent... so you can have a chance to win."

Robbie was perplexed. He was uncertain whether or not to accept their words as an offense or a well-meaning critique. He was still seeking an answer upon their sudden negativity. "I'm so good on the guitar and I've got wonderful pipes!"

"Yeah, guys, don't be so harsh on Robbie," Tori ordered softly and Robbie blinked with a half smile as her voice resembled Cat's. At that point, Robbie started growing curious. "He does have a decent voice and is talented on the guitar."

"Thank you Tori," he reached out his arm to touch her and then realized that he was feet away from his other friends.

"But you _are_ really strange in your song writing," she finished.

"Hey!" Robbie defended in a natural, high-pitched tone.

Tori shook her head, "no Robbie, we're not saying you're not talented, we just think that you should submit your video with a real talent."

Robbie's frown sunk deeper as the others threw out suggestions to him. He thought he was really gifted in the music category... and not all of his songs were odd. Cat knows that for sure.

"You could use Rex or something?" "NO! I already don't like having the nerd's hand up my back, why would I want a step forward and be controlled?!" "Okay, you can act out a scene." "Or be a wicked unicycle juggler." "Um... you could... make funny voices." "Maybe you could clip your toe nails with your teeth!"

Robbie's jaw was hanging loosely and he looked shocked. _These guys are crazy, it's like they don't even know me!_

The gang hit a block in the thought road and resorted to chin tapping, but then Tori opened her mouth, "ooh, or maybe you could tap dance, I heard Cat has been studying that."

That's when it hit him. Robbie's eyes rapidly scanned the room and everything clicked into place. No wonder why there weren't any sweet giggles, random out burst or even a meaningful suggestion. Cat wasn't in the room. Robbie bit his lip. He had to know. "Um, excuse me, Sikowitz?"

"Yes fuzzy head boy?" he asked in a pirate voice... which was odd.

"Where's Cat?" Robbie asked, glancing down at the lifeless rose resting on his backpack.

"Um, she asked to use the bathroom," he replied, then looked down at his wrist where there was no watch. "Let's see, she's been gone for a long time now, maybe you should go check on her. You know that peculiar little child can get into a lot of trouble."

"Oh, okay!" The opportunity was so sudden, that Robbie turned jittery in excitement and tried to control his shaking until he leaped from the classroom. Only then did he release a smile.

* * *

Cat roamed around the main hall, biting her painted red lips as other students were walking through the halls. She had a mini boom box with her at hand and her high-heeled, tap dancing shoes were fidgeting to start moving. She was nervous, however, to randomly perform in that main hall with strangers around, but this was one way to move from her comfort zone and the reflection flier was mocking her until she would perfect her routine and submit her performance.

Cat clutched her fists and inhaled deeply until she sucked in too much and coughed and sputtered out. Everyone was already watching her coughing fit, so she jogged to the stairs and placed the boom box down, pressing the on button and returning to the middle of the spot. The tuneless, steady tempo played out and Cat gradually tapped one foot, transitioning it until the tempo sped up and Cat's feet flew cooperatively. She loved the sound of her high-heels clicking against the concrete ground, the funky feel of her shuffling feet and the rejuvenating wind brushing through her face and clothes, carrying her whipping red ponytail in a graceful tap dance. Her secret talent.

Cat had been so absorbed in her rhythmic dance that when she ended with a twirl and crossed her legs in a bow, she was startled by the large crowd of people gathered around her and clapping cheerfully. Cat rose to her feet, blushing happily and covering her aching smile. They all really liked her. The girl with the exotic hair and weird personality.

The happy fest didn't last long (seeing as they should all be in class. Hooligans.) so Cat eventually picked up her boom box and headed back to class with a proud smile.

"Hey, there you are Cat!" Robbie greeted ebulliently from behind her and she broke out in another smile, waving at him ecstatically.

"Hi Robbie!" she giggled. The audience had filled her with exuberance, which, to be honest, is something she really needs to lay off.

Robbie suddenly froze in his tracks as Cat faced all of herself to him. She was wearing a dark, periwinkle mini skirt, a white shirt and a blue, cardigan-like sweater, but even that simple outfit made Cat look undeniable attractive. Robbie couldn't hide the blush burning in his face and he slowly confronted her with his arms behind his back. "You look really pretty today," he tried.

Cat was stunned. It was like everyone loved her that day, seriously. "Oh, haha, thanks!"

"Which reminds me, I want to give you something," Robbie brightly smiled at her and wiggled his fingers behind him for that familiar petal texture. Then, Robbie's face fell misreably. He made the awful mistake of leaving the rose behind at class, and likely this was his only chance.

"Are you okay?" Robbie lifted his head, realizing he was kind of physically showing his angst and straightened up with an apology at hand.

Robbie opened his pitiful eyes again and noticed the boom box in her folded arms, "oh, do you need help with that?"

Before she could truthfully say yes, Robbie gently picked up the machine and nestled it under his arm. She wrapped her arms again and fluttered her eyes sweetly, "aw, Robbie, you've been acting really sweet lately."

He bit his lip to stop the coming blush he knew he would produce. He shook his head to change the subject, "so, why were you at the bathroom for a long time... with a boom box?"

Now it was her turn to blush. From embarrassment. "Oh, I just sort of needed an excuse to practice something."

_Hm._ Things seemed to click now, especially with the tiny radio, "was it your tap dancing?"

"Hey! How did you know that?" She wondered almost defensively and poked Robbie in the stomach.

He chuckled briefly, "I've heard some things."

"Ugh, there has been rumors about me?!" She escalated in panic quickly and Robbie chocked.

"No, I meant you're just that gifted to reveal another talent such as tap dancing!"

Cat blinked, then eased up warmly, "oh, sorry, I just hate it when people spread lies. It's like a tainted po-ta-toe chip... Yeah, I'm secretly a tap dancer."

Robbie figured, since they were already out in the halls, that this conversation could be his replacement for his rose, even if it did cost a chastise from his mother. "Are you naturally gifted at tap dancing?"

"No, my brother Frankie actually taught me how. It's an easy way for him to relax whenever he's in the mood to do something illegal or bizarre, like that one time he peed on the couch like a dog..." Cat explained in a leveled voice, "yeah, he needed some serious shoe-tapping tempo."

It truly fascinated Robbie how this simple hobby was able to make Cat communicate normally (well, as normally as she could get.) and add on to her long list of wonderful attributes. Robbie simply had to flatter the cutie, "wow, I haven't seen any of your work, but I'm sure you're amazing at it."

"Hm, that's a pretty wild thing to assume," Cat had to flatten the moment due to her dimness, but to Robbie's surprise, she picked it up with a grin, "but I'll take it."

"Yeah, you should definitely submit an entry of your tap dancing, I guarantee you'll win!" Now Robbie really was smothering her. She secretly didn't mind though.

With all this sweetness floating around him, Cat felt she need to say something back, "are you going to enter the competition, too?"

Once again, Robbie was presented with the argument that befuddled him. The questioning of his true talent. "Um, well I wanted to, but then the others told me my singing and guitar playing was weird."

"Oh, it is sometimes," she responded abruptly in a low voice, which raised back up when she spoke again, "but you should be proud of your weirdness."

Now Robbie was really confused if Cat was trying to insult him or not. He disregarded it and resumed, "I guess they're sort of right, I should try opening up to a new talent..."

Cogs were turning, engines were steaming in his brain and Robbie figured he had come up with his secret talent, the thought he was wrapped in almost too much to skip Cat's last words, "well, I hope you submit it soon. I'd like to see it."

Robbie was a bit dry in the throat and could only manage a nod as Cat motioned Robbie to walk back to class with her boom box still huddled in his under arm.

* * *

Robbie was too excited to stop to eat or drink or even use the bathroom when he dashed back home. He had the perfect video to create and wanted to get it done at the moment before the flaming idea and the excitement vanished away by the hours. He threw Rex ("You know I'm not some rag doll, right Rob?" Rex barked. Robbie shushed him.) and his back pack aside (cringing at the sound of his rose crumpling.), adjusted a camera in front of an open wall, and dragged his computer chair to the center. He was going to do it. He was actually going to reveal a hidden talent of his. Hamboning. Not a very common hobby, but it certainly was an entertaining, energetic one that kept Robbie intact whenever he had the time to do it. He pressed the record button and sat on the chair. _Alright, no turning back._

"Hi slappers! I'm Robbie and here is my submission video for the reflection contest about our unique and probably not even important, talents!" Robbie couldn't lie, he liked his confidence, but as he explained what his rhythmic talent was and readied himself to do it, he felt tiny bits of nerves biting at him. He had practiced this playful trick many times, though, so it's not like he was terrible. Still, this all counted. It was his time to be victorious, and let him tell ya', it was astonishingly nerve-wracking.

The hamboning began. In front of screens of dozens of students and the reflection judges was a nerdy, zestful looking young male who was slapping rhythmically against his body in a specific manner. To be quite honest (in the eyes of artists.) this was oddly engaging and everyone and anyone just had to watch (giving their overall, real opinion later, of course).

Robbie felt sweat dripping from his forehead and his body felt like warm fuzzies in a leaning-more-to-on fire way. Not to mention the hand clapping was vigorous, impairing his skin with the speed of light slaps and his nimble hands were already cramping. Nevertheless, Robbie continued, creating new moves he had never attempted and actually perfected them in the heat of the moment. At this point, Robbie needed to seal the deal with the icing on the cake and he cleared his throat and began to sing. "Hambone, hambone, where ya' been? Been around the world and I'm goin' 'gin!"

With simply this one video, Robbie hit a remarkable number of viewerships on TheSlap. He gained slaps, comments, likes and his video even went viral over the internet. It was more Robbie could have asked for, but at that point as he finished his video and snapped the camera shut, slipping under his sheets for another dreary day, he was as oblivious as Cat when it came to all this love. Unbeknownst to Robbie, this video fell into the computer of one person in specific.

* * *

On the suburbs near Hollywood Arts was a drawl house being occupied by, coincidentally, a student himself. Gerald King wasn't the most popular kid in school, well, with the whole school anyway. He wasn't recognized for acting or singing or, heck, even speaking up in class. He was the president of his geeky clubs that he had to admit himself was, and most importantly, he was praised by his only close friend about his tremendous ability to hambone. Gerald was arrogant, so he easily germinated into the thought and proclaimed himself the ultimate Hambone King. So, one can imagine how his reaction was when he saw the video.

"Not now dad!" Gerald hollered and threw his room door behind him. It's not like it made an effect, though, seeing as his house doors make a comedic, plush noise when closed (just some odd, family wish).

Gerald had been having a difficult day with the urchins he calls "students". Being the reserved, slightly awkward kid in his class seemed to bite at him, and that's all mostly because he doesn't showcase any distinct talent. Gerald crunched his knuckles in his palms, blocking the sound of his teeth grinding. _Those stupid hosers! I'm totally the chiz and yet they still look down on me when it should be reversed. Well, at least I'm better than that nerdy Shapiro guy. Talk about all awkward, no talent. _

The heaviness of the day finally impacted Gerald and he sighed and turned to his bed.

"Hey there!"

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" He shrilled at the top of his lungs, flying backwards into his sliding closet as his equally awkward, chubbish blonde friend was sprawled on Gerald's bed, sucking on a spoon gunked with vanilla pudding. Gerald sat frozen in the spot until he lifted a sleeve flap from a shirt that fell on his face. His face burned red in fury. "What are you doing in my room?!"

His friend didn't seem so hurt or annoyed or, really displaying an emotion for this matter and simply scooped up another spoon of pudding. "Well, I was bored... and I needed a buddy. :)"

Gerald grimaced at the amount of creepy attached to the scenario, and being apart of the world of Victorious, didn't really mind his entry afterward. Gerald exhaled as he took off into his daily routine: checking the internet while downing a pina colada and acting like he's all that and a bag of chips over the world wide web. It wasn't much to do, but it's not like he had important things to attend to (a girlfriend... is what he means.) so this was "the life". Something completely threw off Gerald's groove that day, however, as he entered TheSlap and became blank-faced at the main video.

"Hey, it's that Shapiro kid!" he exclaimed, to his surprise. Really, it was the title of the video that got him. "The Hambone King" this dork randomly claimed. _What gives him the nerve to announce that?!_ Gerald furrowed his brows. _I shouldn't be bothered by this. Who says if this loner is good anyway. _So Gerald proceeded to click the video and suck his smoothie.

"Hey slappers!" Robbie in the video greeted brightly and Gerald scoffed.

Gerald's friend rolled over to his feet and he wobbled to the desk, shoving his face close to his, "whatcha watchin'?"

Gerald huffed, "this hambone video with that dork in our one class. He says he's better than me. Yeah right!"

The surplus friend shrugged his shoulders in convince and they both studied in silence at Robbie's, rather swift tactic of slap-dancing. Gerald nearly chocked at the realization. Just like all the other viewers, Gerald found himself mesmerized by this sudden opening of this insignificant character, but he felt more than that. He felt a nagging twinge of jealousy.

"Unbelievable! How dare this loser decide to perform hambone! That is a time consuming, movement crafting skill that requires more agility and flexibility!" Gerald blew up. "No, no, it doesn't require! It's freaking mandatory!"

As Gerald clenched his fists, shaking in mild vexation, his companion gave him a glance, "do you want some pudding?"

"Dude!" His friend recoiled back in lament and Gerald raged on at the paused picture of Robbie smiling proudly. "So, if this wannabe thinks he can just be whoever he wants, then he has no idea what he's gotten himself into. I may just be some silent boy you wouldn't pay much attention to in the halls, but little do all these fools know that I've got the "ham bone" in my body! Haha!"

His friend suddenly chuckled, "yeah... we're friends with benefits!"

* * *

_Okay... random ending and why not say random chapter. To be honest, this first chapter is mostly based off of a dream I once had. Yeah, I just couldn't help my Cabbie heart. I hope you guys liked what you read and believe in my prediction, I worked hard on this only to have to devote my time to write another one by either today or tomorrow (according to my time)._ _By the way, sorry if the characters seem OOC in any way. Recently, I've been seriously obsessed with this anime (like, no joke, it's a frikken' drug.) show I've been watching and am obsessed to just add it into anything (which, shamefully, I did)._

_So yeah, I'll try to upload new chapters within the days and I hope you review and maybe even favorite. :)_


	2. Scene 2: Gerald 'The Hambone' King

_Why hello... fancy seeing you here... well, actually, I can't see you... and you can't see me, and truthfully I wanted you to be here in the first place..._

_Welcome to the second chapter of the story, I'm honestly thrilled and honored for you to be here, because for some reason, I am already attached to this episode and everything in it (and what I write). Also, I must say, just on this Friday (September 28th), I have learned a whole bunch of new things that are going to happen in the episode and will add it in here, just for you guys! (Note, I'm still gonna' keep fabricating.) So yeah, and before note, I apologize if this story is long. I'm just in love with it and practically want to add everything I can into it. _**Disclaimer: I do not own Danwarp's work. I never have, I don't now, but will I in the future? HAHA!**

* * *

The Hambone King

Robbie was visably timid to enter the walls of Hollywood Arts, what being his fear upon the students reactions to his video, or even worse, having them not react at all. He knew as an acting performer that he should always take deep breaths and overcome kicking nerves and criticism, but Robbie was a rookie with wounded feelings and trembling hands when he finally pushed the doors open and felt the blast of air and flash of light. Camera light. Robbie opened his eyes and was almost left blinded by the school newspaper photographers crowding around him with bright, strobing pictures.

"Whoa, hey, what's going on?" He hollered over their excited chatter and some news kids approached him.

"Robbie, why didn't you ever tell anyone about your hamboning talent?" a young female reporter (who actually looked the part.) pressed neutrally.

Robbie's eyes widened behind his spectacles. "Oh, people actually watched that?" he felt touched at their enthusiastic nods and felt prompted to speak. "Um, I don't know, I didn't think you guys would even care since it's kind of weird."

"No way, hambonings the chiz!" a latino looking male commented with a fist pump.

"You're like, the only person whose ever done this and we all think it's so cool," another female said, winking her eye at him.

"Wow..." Robbie was breathless at their overwhelming reaction and bent his head, feeling bubbly. "I can't believe you guys really liked it..."

* * *

Tori sat across from Andre in the Black Box Theatre, he who had his beloved keyboard on his lap and the two conversing about some song choices for the reflection.

"Um... oh! We could do a jazzy song!" Tori suggested gleefully.

Andre cocked his head to the side, looking uncertain, "I don't know. Sometimes your voice goes up and down when you sing jazz and it gets a little... old manish."

Tori looked slightly offended by this, but kept a preppy attitude and raised her hunched arms, "okay, cross out jazz... um, what about rock and roll!"

She swayed her head around violently and giggled when she stopped. Andre looked completely speechless at her, "is there something wrong with you today?"

Tori stared at Andre long and hard until she sat back on her chair and huffed, "it was a long day yesterday, okay. Trina got sick again like she seems to be lately and her wet cough kept me up all night."

"Alright, alright, sorry for asking," he said and randomly pressed all his digits on the keyboard. "Hm, how about... a love song?"

"Ohh, yeah that could be good, we sing that like all the time!" Tori easily hopped to Andre's side and she smiled, plumping her already bulbous cheeks and making Andre think. _A love song... did she not get the message. _

The two, being engrossed with their song idea, barely noticed the classroom door swinging behind them. "Hey guy and girl," Beck greeted plainly with his casual coffee at hand. "Watcha ya' doin'?"

"None of your beeswax!" Jade called and Tori jumped when she realized Jade had been snipping a homework assignment behind them the entire time.

"You know you aren't a part of our act, right?" Tori remarked, almost as if she was defending Beck.

Jade shrugged her shoulder, "so? I can say what I want, it was apart of the Declaration of Independence... which is the homework I'm cutting up right now."

Her rambling had turned to her self thoughts and Tori raised her eyebrows and talked to Beck, "Andre and I were just thinking of a theme to do of a song for the reflection contest."

"Yeah, we're doing a love song again!" Andre declared (giving somewhat of a glance to the camera.) and Beck nodded his head, then something came back to mind.

"Hey, did you guys see Robbie's reflection video?" He asked a portion of the crew.

"Yeah, I did. Kind of surprising," Andre admitted.

"Didn't think he could get weirder," Jade smirked to herself.

Tori was the only one who swiveled her head around, completely lost. "Wait, what video? I didn't see."

"How could you have not seen it? It was the main video of TheSlap page," Andre informed her.

"It even went viral around the web," Beck added, taking a sip from the drink.

"Oh..." Tori felt slightly ashamed for not searching the video. Well, it was more than that. She was ashamed to not have been up to date with popular trends. She _was_ the main character after all. "Well sorry for not being so obsessed with the internet."

"Right... well that video was really surprising. Didn't think Rob had it in him," Beck resumed the whole "popular video" topic and roamed off to his pearphone.

Tori was beginning to feel left out as Andre added how skillful Robbie appeared and how his life may change for the reflection. It was kind of unlike her to want to desperately know something, but since it had to do with one of her close friends, being the topic between her other close friends, the information was nagging at her. As she reached her arm out to ask Andre what the video was, the bell to lunch rang and the two boys zipped out of the room. Tori crunched her fists, _dang that high male metabolism and abyss stomach!_

Before she physically shot herself a brain message to get up, Tori found her feet already on the move after the boys. "Hey you guys... wait!" she bellowed from the end of the hall and nearly ran into them when they turned around abruptly.

"Oh, sorry, we should have waited for you," Beck nudged Andre's shoulder and he groaned at the sound of his stomach growling.

"Yeah, but you know they have guacamole this time, Tori!"

Tori lulled her head to the side like Andre was a little child and rested her gentle hand on his shoulder, "I know, but I want to know what exactly you guys are talking-"

Their thoughts were stomped aside when a click-clacking noise filled the hallways, directly behind the three friends. "Haha, hi!" the familiar, giggly little voice hailed. They all turned their heads and were instantly glued to Cat's rapid feet movement. Looks like Cat has been tap dancing nonstop, seeing as she's still wearing the same clothes. Cat giggled again at their intriguing expressions, "don't worry, there's nothing wrong with me, I'm doing this on purpose!"

Cat was all smiles when her friends were "breath-takingly speechless" at her swift dance moves. Cat took impressive steps around her, then ended with a sassy/fun shake and reduced to giggle, as she always does, "too-doo!"

Tori scrunched her face, but smiled afterwards. She was impressed. "It's... ta-da."

"Ta-da!"

"Well... that was certainly something Cat," Beck responded after a moment, then wiggled a pesky finger in his ear, "although I don't know for sure... I sort of lost hearing from those... beautiful, powerful feet of yours."

Cat was distracted, however, and pointed behind the three, "hey, people are talking to Robbie, that's so weird."

To anyone's shock (but mostly Robbie's), the reporters (who Robbie liked to call now, his friends.) were still chumming it up with Robbie, laughing to anything he said and showing an expressive face of attentiveness to him. The others had to agree. This was even stranger than Robbie trying to get attention with his disturbing songs.

"Yeah, they're all excited about his video from the slap," Andre replied and Cat, mouth agape, nodding.

"That's what I want to know! What video?" Tori lightly slapped Andre's shoulder and he gave Beck a look, communicating silently.

Beck nodded and took the bag of chips from Andre as he took out his green pearpad (Beck helped himself to studying the bag, nipping a few chips himself.) and scrolled through the slap. "Uh, what did he call the video again?" Andre simply asked.

Beck, having been lost in the outrageous calorie count of the bag, threw his head up in confusion, "oh, um, The Hambone King."

Tori's eyes widened bigger than saucers. "Wait... did you say hambone?" her voice, shaky, asked and Beck nodded.

"What's hambone mean?" Cat had to ask.

"Who cares!" Tori snapped back, trying to look casual. Cat wasn't quite sure, Tori looked a little uneasy and suspicious... _maybe she's on her period. _

Andre motioned the girls to give the video a look and the screen flashed with Robbie performing his hambone routine. Cat's jaw gaped open on more than one occasion and she smiled and batted her eyes, thoroughly entertained. Meanwhile, Tori was a little more opposite and continually cleared her throat and twitched her eyebrow. This was definitely not what she was expecting. She was troubled.

"Ohh, that looks so fun!" Cat's voice was far away in Tori's memory filling thoughts and she had to shake her head to come back to.

"Yeah, must take a lot of practice," Andre responded, totally unaware of Beck cleaning out his chips.

"Well what else is Robbie going to do?"

Tori was beginning to let go of reality the further they talked and felt an uneasiness wash over her. She excused herself curtly, having need of fresh air, and had an involuntary tremble when outside to the Asphalt Cafe. _So... Robbie's secret talent is hamboning..._

* * *

Tori was more than glad when Robbie called her over the phone rather than requested to face-chat. Truthfully, as Robbie invited her and Cat to meet him at Nozu for some type of celebration get together, she was grimacing and cringing whenever he brought up how proud he was of his hamboning. As she ended the call and found that she had to walk all the way to Nozu, her first gripe of regret kicked and she hated having this touchy topic come back to her. She brushed her hair to the side as she stepped out of the house and into the blowing, chilly wind, making a surprisingly quick trip to Nozu.

Once she got their, she took a moment to breathe, as a way of controlling any emotional tears if that word... came up. Tori finished and plastered a smile on her face as she walked in the building and easily spotted her friends. Cat and Robbie were happily messing around with their chop sticks, already having a good time without her. Tori nearly u-turned, _yeah, they don't really need me, _but she found that she was paralyzed to go back and could only go forward, _aw chiz!_

"Oh, hey Tor!" Robbie welcomed normally, like he didn't have anything to boast about, which made Tori settle and she sat down and ordered a light meal when she realized they were already eating.

While she waited for her food, Tori managed to keep Cat and Robbie chatting amongst the two while she tried to contain herself. She was really hoping Robbie wouldn't bring that unusual talent up.

"Hey, Tori?" Oh no, this was it. Robbie was staring at her innocently with a question at hand and Tori swallowed with trouble. _Please don't mention hamboning. _Robbie opened his mouth. "I've got to know, can girls really not survive without make-up for even a day?"

Tori stared at him through narrow eyes. _Well, at least it wasn't to hambone. _So, she simply answered his question in the most feminist way possible, but for some reason, all of this girl talk was beginning to hook him and he rotated back and forth from Cat to Tori, asking the girls what they do as females. It was strange, but it lifted the tension hanging over Tori. Then Mrs. Lee came by.

"Mr. Robbie Shapiro," she said like it was announcement. "Here is your complementary desert. Just for you."

Robbie was pleasantly stunned by this generous offering and sampled a bit. Tori looked over at Mrs. Lee, "ooh, can I have some?"

"NO!" She snapped back. "Only for hambone king."

Tori squirmed under the title while Robbie did the opposite. "Oh, you saw my video?" he presumed bashfully.

"Mh-hm, and I feel honored to have someone like you in my presence," then, Mrs. Lee turned around at a scuffling noise coming from the bathroom and she ushered Kwakoo to the beloved guest. "Kwakoo here has something to ask of you, Mr. Shapiro!"

He was incredibly bashful as he handed over his notebook, kindly asking for an autograph.

"Aw-ha, that's sooo cute!" Cat cooed when she took notice of the yellow, kawaii cat on the cover.

"Uh... sure," Robbie chuckled comically over Tori's groan, and he wrote his name in swirly cursive.

"Thank you," he took the note book back and bowed, "you best hambone boy!" Mrs. Lee linked her arm around Kwakoo's and guided him away to the kitchen.

Robbie smiled at the love, then at the sweet, vanill-y ice cream melting on his tongue and it reduced him to an adorable giggle, "gee, this is great! I should have done this along time ago, knowing the popularity I would gain!"

Tori released another sigh as if she were sick and finally threw her towel down, "I need to use the restroom."

Cat and Robbie bid her goodbye, having no idea the feelings flowing through her blood stream. She was indeed feeling ill under the pungency of "The Hambone King"

Not moments after Tori left, a random, non-related hambone question popped into Robbie's head and he turned to the flighty red head. "Why do they even call it restrooms?"

Cat scrunched her face in thought and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, the toilet isn't the most comfortable place to sleep, and just imagine the response you'd get when people open the door."

Robbie nodded his head in consideration, then decided to add, "my grandmother sleeps in the bathroom."

Cat's eyes widened and her mouth hitched in stun, "so does my brother! Up top!"

Robbie smiled as he realized they both held something odd in common and he returned her high-five energetically. Cat and Robbie returned back to their dining, giggling with the odd tid-bit and having no idea of the challenge coming up... but that was pushed back as a familiar pair walked into the building.

"Cat. Robbie. What are you guys doin' here?" Andre asked good-naturedly and waved as they turned around.

Before the two could reply, Jade smirked, "you two on a romantic date?"

Robbie tinted and shrunk under the accumulating blush on his cheek and wanted to speak up, but then Cat answered unexpectedly, "are you two on a date?"

Whether Cat had intended to stump Jade or not, Jade scowled at Cat's innocent come-back and grasped Andre by the wrist, leading him to a table far away from the "couple". Robbie and Cat turned back to their sushi, their minds trailing over Tori's whereabouts at one point, then returning to their sushi the next (an angry figure sidling near them).

Gerald turned his head around the corner, having heard information exchanged by an anonymous student _("I'll give you Trina Vega's number as long as you tell me where Robbie Shapiro hangs out the most," Gerald had ordered hours ago._

_The pencil-legged, mossy haired, peculiar kid that hangs around the gang shivered in pleasure at the thought and spilled a ton of unusually personal things about Robbie._

_"Um... great," was Gerald's disturbed response and he slyly handed over Trina's number.)_ and barely realizing he had slipped into a flashback, spotted Robbie faster than he expected. He also spotted Cat (though her poppy red hair isn't hard to miss.) nudging his arm playfully and a smile twisted on his face. _Looks like I found more than one way to toy him. _Gerald motioned his clingy friend to follow with an intimidating entrance and he stomped into the room. "Robbie Shapiro!" He barked as powerfully as he could and got a desired reaction as Robbie and Cat swiveled in their seat with alarm.

Robbie's lips quivered somewhat in confusion while Gerald took slow steps forward, "oh, hey there... I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Gerald," he said.

"He's Gerald," his friend added and Gerald cocked his head with narrowed eyes.

"I'm Gerald."

Then his friend puffed out his chest, "and I'm Meryl!" His arms were still held out proudly and his eyes shifted to Gerald, who was silent. Meryl dropped his arms with short-temper, "_I_ said **your** name!"

Gerald rolled his eyes at his hurt friend, showing how easily his tactic can run away.

Robbie cocked his shoulders and laughed lightly at the silence, "right, got it... and you know me how?"

Gerald puffed out his lip when his face turned red-hot, "we go to the same school together! We have a massive amount of classes together."

Cat nodded her head like she comprehended, "... who are you again."

"I'm Gerald!" His voice rose (although, his voice is naturally weak so it wasn't horrible.) and he retracted and started again. "Shapiro, I've heard you proclaimed yourself as the Hambone King," Gerald rehearsed, then laughed (he rehearsed that too and pulled it off swiftly.) and glared again, "I laugh because that's impossible. You're a fake!"

"What!? Did you watch Robbie's video, he's wicked amazing," Cat said in her typical, soft-spoken voice.

"Yeah, I saw it. His slapping and clapping was all amateurish," he dare said and Robbie scoffed in defense.

"Yeah! Gerald has been hamboning since he was a kid and can do it anywhere, any place, even in his sleep!" Meryl exaggerated, adding drastic hand movements on top.

Cat crossed her arms, "even in the restroom? (she just had to crack a giggle after that.)"

Gerald mimicked Cat's pose, readying his speech to prick with Robbie. "Huh, your girl's got some nerve to be speaking up at the champ, Shapiro," Robbie was slightly irritated that these uncalled for blushes kept creeping into his features and was instantly thrown into his current yearning (much to Gerald's unbeknownst pleasure.), _why can't Cat just be my girlfriend? _Gerald had to go on, "you make her shut up or else Meryl here will blow a "tornado" in her face."

"What the heck is a tornado?" Cat asked but was stopped mid-way when Meryl jumped to her face and blew the hardest into her face. Cat sputtered and shook her head in disgust as Robbie watched helplessly, but certainly appalled and unquestioningly angry. When Meryl stepped back in amusement, Cat shivered violently, "oh my gosh, that was so weird!"

"I warned ya'!" Gerald chortled and did a handshake with Meryl (although the friendship behind it appeared one-sided).

Robbie had it with this random bombard and insults and shot up to his feet, steam piping from his head. "Okay, first of all, she's not my girl," he said with withdrawal, but then had to take a chance and spun back to Cat, "unless you want to be?"

Cat was still weirded out by the whole "tornado" bit. "I'm good."

Robbie nodded his head as expected and was still piping, "and second of all, who are you to go around, shooting people down?"

Gerald stepped forward, becoming nose to nose with Robbie, "I'm the REAL Hambone King, and if you want to prove me wrong, then just accept my challenge or else your girl here will get another dose of "tornado"."

"And weather reports call for a hot, spitty one!" Meryl tongue-flicked like that was the biggest threat. Gerald managed to mask the biggest face of shame with his pal.

Robbie gulped. _So... I either have to take this challenging challenge, _he pondered with fear, but then looked down at Cat who stared up at him with her big, pleading brown eyes, _or let Cat suffer through another, nasty "tornado"... _Robbie bowed his head neutrally, "let's go outside and get it over with."

Gerald grinned so broadly, even his eyes smiled, "alright people! A hambone challenge has been accepted! Meet us outside to see the showdown!"

Most of the people there (who, happened to be students.) gave him tilted, puzzled looks. Andre spoke up, "who are you?"

Gerald crunched his fists 'till his veins popped, "I'm Gerald!"

"Come on everyone, just come outside to see a fight throw down!" Meryl pumped the energy back up. Robbie and Cat looked at each other, worried of what this story has gotten into. Gerald impatiently groped Robbie's arm and pulled him away, vanishing in the crowd.

Cat felt her breathing start to grow unsteady and hurried over to Andre and Jade, "you guys, that weird kid and his equally weird friend are about to fight Robbie! We need to help him!"

"I know, I know, baby, we'll stop this," Andre assured and they both rushed off to the scene.

Jade made a face like she didn't care and enlightened her taste buds with some sushi... which barely landed in her mouth when Andre hurtled back and smacked the sushi away, dragging Jade into the rowdy crowd.

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" The crowd was chanting with hyper energy, the two boys staring at each other, one determined and one unsure.

Andre helped Cat and Jade through the crowd and yelled when he spotted the fighters, "hey! If you think you can fight Robbie, you're going to have to fight me first!"

Robbie then inched to Andre's ear nervously, "um, would it be better if he just fought you instead?"

"Hey, idiots!" Meryl boomed.

"Yeah?"

"Sup?..."

"It's just going to be a short battle. Shapiro made a deal because he thinks he's got nerves of steel!" Gerald spat while Meryl pulled up a chair for Gerald.

"Fine! I'll do it!" Robbie cried back. "Jade, get me a crate!"

"Are you seriously bossing me around!" She barked back in a spine-tingling tone and Robbie weakly asked Cat to get him one instead. She obeyed and Robbie glared at Gerald for the fight to begin.

"Gerald will go first because he's awesome!" Meryl announced with vigor.

"Um, I don't see how that's rational in any way, but-" Robbie started, but Gerald had no care to hear what else Robbie had to say and started his routine. Gerald slapped and clapped rhythmically against his body, performing stunning tricks all while staying in one position. Robbie couldn't hide it. He was fascinated, but also a little intimidated, but this had somehow turned into an opportunity of a life time. He could prove something to those people, but more importantly, to himself.

Gerald finishes his quick hambone by slapping his hands together and parting them to his thighs, pumping his chest like he's all that. "Beat that!" He challenged and praised the crowd who were strangely transfixed by all this.

Robbie grinned from ear to ear and he played an upbeat medley in his head and clapped and slapped all over his body, making the best of what he got and doing it rather impressively. The crowd was going crazy (_come on people, it's just two nerd slapping themselves! _Jade groaned in her thoughts, but the act was compelling enough to record.) with Robbie's unique hambone technique and it almost seemed like Robbie was going to win the whole thing over. Robbie clapped his hands together much like Gerald did and threw them down to part at his waist, but for some reason, they wouldn't part smoothly. It must have been the soy sauce from the sushi earlier. The worst thing of all about his end trick going badly, was that he hamboned his crotch and the wind was knocked out of him.

"Ooh, Robbie, you slapped the wrong place!" Jade laughed heartily and tapped the stop button.

Most of the crowd burst into laughter and cheered for Gerald when he basked in his glory and whisked his fans away. Other people such as Robbie's friends (well, minus Jade.) gasped like the pain (physical and mental.) had inflicted them and they rushed to his side. When all the people were officially gone, Cat got to her knees despite being in a skirt and tap dancing high-heels and patted his side, wincing at his whimpering.

"Come on, Robbie," she coaxed gingerly.

"It's okay, Rob, it was just a stupid game," Andre tried to help, but that really ticked Robbie off.

"No, that wasn't just some game... that was my pride, my fame," he snapped back, but still felt weak.

Even Jade wanted a go at helping Robbie, but her sentence showed this wasn't her game, "come on, how about we get you some ice for your... uh, injuries."

Robbie shook his head as well as wobbled his body and exhaled shakily with a well-up of tears, "uh-uh... just leave me be on this filthy floor... where I belong."

Andre and Jade exchanged a glimpse, then hunched their shoulders, "okay." "if you say so."

The pair headed back to Nozu while Cat looked back at them, then down at shriveling Robbie. She didn't want to leave him. He was her friend, her close friend and he was in pain, marked with scars of anguish and failure. Jade and Andre were also her friends, and she followed whatever they wanted. Reluctantly, Cat got to her feet and walked back into the building, unable to glance back at Robbie on more than one occasion. _And as a friend, I will do what they_ want.

Robbie sprawled his legs painfully over the concrete road, moaning silently to himself and not aware of something coming behind him.

"Hey."

Robbie lifted up his head and half of his body, looking before him cautiously. "Who's there?" He asked warily, then scrolled his eyes upward. "God?"

"No," the figure said, then stepped forward out of the darkness, "it's me, Tori. A friend."

Robbie twisted his body and looked her up and down through bleary eyes. "What? Tori? How did you-... where did you go?" he croaked in a cracking, hurt voice.

Tori bent her head, the words catching in her throat, "I had to leave the scene... I couldn't bare those memories again... and I couldn't bare to see a friend go through them."

Robbie scoffed, confusing himself further, "what would you know about hamboning... I lost the most horrible way... well, unless you're a girl, it's different."

Tori bit her lip and got unto her knees, inches from Robbie, "I know a lot more than you think, and even though it pains me to have this come back to me, it hurts a lot more to affect my friends... I'm really sorry."

Robbie was still confounded. Why was Tori saying those things? What was she trying to get at? Why did he fail so miserably, embarrassing his pride and his friends in front of everyone. He was so perplexed and shaky from the whipping wind scratching at his bare skin. Why were his cheeks warm and wet. The tears were welling up again and Tori offered her arms in sadness and Robbie took them softly, weeping into Tori's shoulder as she rubbed the nape of his neck.

According to Tori, she didn't want another friend to go through what she's gone through, but what is she trying to suggest?

* * *

_All...RIGHT! Yes, I got the next chapter done, and let me just tell you, I absolutely love this chapter. It had so many different elements that were fun to write and, yes, since most of this is created after the episode launched (Funny thing, I added the part when Beck says 'hey guy and girl' before I watched the actual episode. Me and Dan think alike. Hm ;)), I stole some things from the episode. Also, I altered Gerald's character a little bit for two reasons. 1.) I decided a character as forgotten as himself should act tough and be a real threat to this ordinary student. 2.) I adapted a trait from the show I'm watching to Gerald. Despite him acting like he's on top, people constantly forget him, and that bugs him a lot._

_So yeah, that's that for now and I do hope you guys give the time and effort to read and review, that would mean so much to me. Bye, see you in the next chapter in the distant future! :D_


	3. Scene 3: The REAL Hambone King

_Okay, so first of all, I'm not really sure if this will indeed be the last chapter of the story. I believe I'll be able to shrink the episode up for a conclusion or maybe I should pace this story to four chapters like I usually do for a Victorious based episode. Second of all, sorry that this is out so late. I had school taking over and sometimes I was stricken with writer's block, but I need to finish this! *Then shrugs* I don't know, we'll see. Be prepared to see the ultimate workout and possibly the ultimate hambone off ever! _**Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to be in production of this very popular T.V. show and do what I want at will with the show's plots, according to the laws of the universe, sadly, I cannot.**

* * *

The Hambone King

It seemed that the Vega's household was a place of gathering of friends for both good and bad times. Sadly, this was one of those bad times. Tori had ushered her nearest and dearest friends to her house for what she described was, "a shocking reveal". They were all disinclined to meet right after the hambone failure, but given Robbie's sake of pain and loss, currently rocking on the opposite side of Tori's couch, they scowled but went.

As previously mentioned, Robbie was cradled in the plush of the Vega's couch, crying inaudibly with just the terrible wave of grief floating over him. Jade and Andre looked on at him in pity, wanting to comfort but loud click-clacking noises were nipping at their attention.

Jade and Andre scrolled their eyes over to the tap-dancing Cat and were pleased for once when Trina came down the steps with fluffy, pink slippers. "Grab the cat," Jade directed and the two got up, taking the slippers. Andre lifted Cat and Jade took off her high-heels and slipped on the slippers.

"Haha... I'm a kite!" She cheered not at all annoyed and continued tap-dancing when they returned to their seats. Without sound sort of kills the appeal, but the energizing leg movements made up for that.

"Anyway..." Jade started and Robbie squeaked painfully, "it's going to be okay, Robbie. It was just one stupid battle, no big deal."

Robbie knitted his eyebrows angrily, but his lips quivered, "to you!"

Andre tried a hand now, "everything's fine, Rob. Sure you lost, but it's not like the whole world saw it."

"Yeah they did," Cat piped up neutrally, still tap-dancing to her hearts content. Robbie raised his eyes questioningly. "It's all over the internet."

"What?!" Robbie cried, distressed, "how did it get there?"

"I may have uploaded it," Jade replied nonchalantly.

Robbie dropped his head back to the couch and whimpered in dismay. Just his luck. First he lost, second, the whole world knows about his loss! _Swell, just swell._

After no words being spoken for longer than a minute, Trina puckered her lips behind the kitchen counter in thought. "Hey!" She called in a pitchy voice and the others rolled their eyes in her direction. Trina, not really sure why she did, stuck out the back of her arm, revealing a throbbing, red clump of dead looking skin. "Does this look infected to you?"

The other half of the gang groaned in disgust and Trina's mouth fell open angrily. "It was just a question!"

Suddenly, the door knocked softly and Trina permitted the guest to come in and nearly had a panic attack, dropping down her arm, when seeing Beck come into the house. With a giant watermelon.

Jade immediately became hostile and looked him up and down, "what are _you _doing here?"

"Andre texted me that Robbie got hurt, so I decided to bring his favorite fruit," Beck replied and patted the watermelon before handing it over to the sulking shell of Robbie. "So, why are we all gathered here again?"

"Tori had something she wanted to show us, I think," answered Andre just as Tori slowly crept down the stairs as if they were at a funeral. Well, Robbie's pride did basically die.

"Hello everyone," Tori said in a deep voice, clutching her pearpad closely like it was a precious jewel. She drew a breath while the other's drew a sigh, "we are gathered here today, to cry-"

"Just get on with it," Jade moaned loudly, receiving two striking glares. One from Tori and one from Beck.

"...Anyway, after Robbie's tragic hambone loss... I think it's time for me to reveal a secret to you guys that would clear this random drama up," Tori explained thoroughly and tapped a few buttons on the pearpad.

"Oh, gee, looks like there's no room on the couch, I guess I'll just have ta'," Trina strolled around the couch, accentuating the obvious and doing what Trina does best. Swinging her arm around Beck's neck and plopping her short skirt on his lap, grinning.

Jade rolled her eyes back on the screen just as Tori brought up the video and hesitantly pressed play. The screen flashed with two little kids in the ambiance of a competition, slapping their bodies rhythmically in the form of hamboning.

"Whoa, that's impressive," Andre noted with a nod.

"That's some top-notch hamboning," Robbie had to admit, no longer feeling empty and useless. He was captivated, but why was Tori showing this? It simply wasn't adding up in his brain, though that could be due to the crying striking a headache.

The others all agreed with this unusually good talent and Tori bobbed her head sheepishly. Although her exterior was emotionless, Tori was shaking on the inside. It was paining her to revisit this memory, this old lifestyle... this old friend.

"That's so neat, but who are those people?" Cat asked with a hunch.

"That's me," Tori pointed at the little girl with a bright smile on her face after freeze-framing the video.

"Wow... you're really good!" Said Robbie with more communication skills.

Tori bit her lip in sorrow, "I **was **so good... I used to hambone like it was my life. I was entered in several competitions and won all of them. Hamboning was my secret pleasure, my desperate escape, but what really made it worthwhile was my partner."

The gang looked over at the little boy and slipped a glimpse at little Tori. "Who was your partner?" Cat asked.

Tori set aside the pearpad and heaved a heavy sigh, "... that's Gerald."

Robbie shot up in shock. "Gerald King?!" Robbie sputtered, his chest flying up and down already. He didn't expect this cruel twist. "You knew him."

"I didn't just know him, he was a close friend of mine. We always trained together because we were both skillful and we both loved hamboning. We were each other's support, we-we were the hambone king and queen," Tori was uncontrollably shaking. She never wanted this unforgivable memory to claw back to her. The remembrance of Gerald always tore at her heart ligaments. Dark, but true. "We were so close, but there was one thing that wasn't friendly between us. Every fan who followed our hamboning blatantly knew that I was the better hamboner, and that really ticked Gerald off. His competitive side destroyed our friendship. He would try to out do me, and when that didn't work, he stopped working with me, claiming he needed a break. Then one day... (Tori dropped her head to her hand and groaned. The others urged her to go on.)... I caught Gerald ha-hamboning with Suzy McCallen, totally leaving me forever..."

The gang weren't quite sure how to act to this confession. It was so odd. Tori revealed a hidden talent strangely related to the situation at this time of all times as if this plot was all written up to the dot. After thinking it over, a few pitied her in a way and Tori cupped her mouth as if she were to cry.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Andre stood up forcefully and circled around the couch to Tori, "this kid is Gerald and you two were a hamboning couple that split when Gerald cheated on you, and now he's back and hurting Robbie?"

Tori scrunched her face in concern. That isn't exactly how she wanted to picture the reality, partially because it would seem even worse to her heart, but Andre pretty much had the twist and she was at a loss for words, only able to nod and cover her face with her hands.

"What a whoop-de-doo story," Jade commented negatively and Tori frowned.

Robbie had a lot of trouble processing all this new found information. He was so shocked to learn this of Tori, as well as secretly happy that he had something in common with her. His mind was aching with what he soaked in. Just finding this new skill out, knowing that he was blessed with it himself, slightly bothered him. He wanted to be the unique one, but Robbie sighed, happy it was her other than anyone else. The leaked footage, the confession, it now made sense why Tori mourned for Robbie like she new the pain. She was really good in that video. _Maybe she's still good now!... _Robbie shot to his feet with a plan pre-thought out, "you're a great hambone player... you can avenge my loss."

The others agreed heartily after witnessing her adeptness, but Tori seemed distressed under this request. "No, no, I can't!" She confessed rather emotionally, looking to the brink of tearing her hair out, "I haven't hamboned for years, but Gerald **has never stopped. **It's his life!... I could never be as good as he is now."

Tori plopped back into the couch where Andre had been sitting, pouting her lip as an image of Gerald hamboning to mock her flashed in her thoughts. He **was **so much better than her now.

Robbie smacked his lips in consideration, then lowered his voice, "then teach me (Tori raised a stunned eyebrow). Teach me how to hambone just as well as Gerald King, and maybe I'll be able to avenge not only myself, but for you and your hardships."

Tori dropped her jaw slightly, unable to detach her eyes from Robbie. His willing and compassion to beat Gerald for both of their sakes struck a chord in Tori's heart and her eyes glimmered under the living room lights. She was tentative, however. Tori stood up and faced Robbie. "How badly do you want this?"

Robbie took a moment to reply, "I don't know, like, on a scale from 1 to 10?"

Tori cocked her head to the side at his weird response, but went along with it anyway, "sure."

Robbie shrugged his shoulders with little confidence and energy, "like 8, 8 and 1/2."

_Good enough, _Tori slid with a jerky nod and agreed to help him. Robbie hollered gleefully and the others cheered for the most bizarre challenge of even Hollywood Arts. Tori had to admit that this promise was rocky to her as she felt useless and fragile, but something about wanting to help Robbie and hambone Gerald's dirty face to the ground enlightened her and she was determined to start his training as soon as possible. The quicker they hambone, the fastest the memory erases. Tori gulped heavily just as her friends settled back down in their seats, discussing the battle. She hates Gerald as much as the next guy (which would be Robbie.), but a terrible feeling sloshed in her stomach when thinking about him. She didn't think she had the guts to go up to him again, to revisit a childhood friend, to refrain herself from reaching out to reconcile. To not cry. Tori crunched her fists, bearing her teeth and pressing her eyebrows down 'till they quivered. The very thought also repulsed her as she had tried desperately to let him go (as she did up until the point she met him again that night). _There's no way I'm going to let him beat me again, _Tori simmered.

* * *

Robbie allowed himself into Tori's house when she let him know the door was open. He was without a doubt, excited to get the hambone lessons started. Ever since two days ago (giving him enough time to cope, of course.), he had been grieving over the hambone battle, hating Gerald while also, secretly hating himself (although, that could be a little of Rex's personality peeking). He finally got over that pity, though, and was prepared to start training. He felt exhilarated to be given this honorable opportunity (and not just because he got to work with Tori.) and couldn't wait to show Gerald off in their next battle that was scheduled by Tori, too. Robbie cracked his knuckles and waved his fingers like a pro, spinning around to the kitchen where Tori had called for him to wait, but then froze in his tracks. Cat was staring around into space, her back facing Robbie, and her high-heels on. _W-what is she doing here?_

Cat felt a presence approach her and she spun around, "oh, hi Robbie!"

Robbie weakly waved a hand and stopped inches in front of her, "hey, uh, didn't expect to see you here."

"Tori called me to help you with your hambone training," Cat explained with her hands to her hips in a relatively mature pose. Of course, afterwards, she cracked a giggle, "she promised a cookie treat."

Robbie frowned a little, his eyebrows rippling creases in his forehead, "um, are you sure, you don't really have to, it's fine."

Cat batted her eyes with a puzzled expression and Robbie felt drops of sweat roll down his face. He had been hoping to work with Tori, mostly because she didn't actually see his hambone battle and she takes no shame for his loss, like he wasn't an embarrassment; but Cat was there when it all went down. Robbie dug his canines to his lip. He originally accepted the challenge to protect Cat and he lost. Even though she looked sad, she was probably more depressed about the new, tainted record, flushed that all those students knew they were friends; Plus, Robbie didn't want Cat to see him fail again. Robbie widened his eyes for another epiphany. _So that's how I feel, _he thought with a rattling, heavy sigh, _I'm gonna' lose again._

Finally, Tori arrived in a simple work-out apparel and pulled out two kitchen chairs, looking overly pumped. "Alright, you ready Robbie?" Tori enthused, stretching like it was for the Olympics.

Robbie glimpsed at the oblivious Cat, though he didn't want to, "um, I guess so."

Tori nodded her head vigorously and ordered Robbie to sit in one of the seats, she also taking one herself. "Alright Robbie, Cat and I are going to be helping you tighten your rhythm for the big hambone off!" Tori explained like a gym school coach.

"Got ta' tighten your rhythm," Cat repeated upliftingly.

Robbie gulped with hesitance. He wanted to ask, but with Cat's sensitivity, he was afraid to take a step over an eggshell. "'Kay, but why is Cat here, exactly?" Robbie bit at his lip. He was dreadfully right. Cat's face flashed upset. If she knew he was just afraid to have her re-watch his failure, even she would have understood.

"Cat's here to help time our hambone routine," Tori told him and Cat swayed her body giddily. Robbie blinked involuntarily and tried to center himself. _It's alright, Rob. Cat didn't make fun of you that night. She's just going to stand there and look pretty. _

Robbie then ruffled his body from a bodily chill and motioned Tori to begin. Tori started off the hamboning by slapping a simple one-two-one-two tempo and handing it off for Robbie to copy. He had been spacey for the first part of the routine because he was so mesmerized to see her clearly carved skills. It was a fluffy, warm fuzzy feeling to be in the presence of a master. Robbie mimicked her movement, but soon sank into depression when his rhythm was patently out of tune and his beat was all over the place.

"Come on Robbie, you need to focus more," Tori instructed calmly. Robbie looked back between Tori and his quaking hands. All of a sudden they seemed so ineffectual, almost lifeless as a heavy weight crushed his skin and he lost control. This stirred Robbie tremendously as he is an expert hamboner and puppeteer, so he was thrown into a loop of questions. _What's going on Robbie, you can do this, _he attempted to negotiate, but his face was contorted with fear. Robbie shot his eyes up at Cat who had been enchanted with the shiny surface of the stop watch. To his surprise, he didn't feel quite scared when looking at Cat. Naturally, her sweet face would rest his nerves, _I would have thought Cat was the origin of my nerves... but I still feel awful and unstable. _

Just then, Robbie was horror-struck. _Cat isn't what's making me nervous... it's Gerald, _he realized with a hurt look on his face and grew sick. Robbie stuttered as his knees knocked and he stood up, vision wobbling, "uhhh, I need some air."

"There's air in here," Cat protested when she took her eyes away from the timing machine.

Robbie was set off to hear his second nerve-pricking talking and yelled back at her, "I don't want your air!"

Robbie stomped off to the patio, closing the door behind him in frustration, and Tori glanced at Cat with a worried look and followed him, brushing her wavy hair behind her ear in concern.

Robbie placed one hand against the brick wall fencing the Vega's house and wanted to kick himself furiously, _Dang it, why Robbie!? _Tori shuffled outside as the door closed with a soft thud, but she wasn't there to wipe his tears like his last battle. "What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing," Robbie muttered breathlessly back, blinking back tears and heaving heavily.

"No," Tori demanded as she wasn't going to take Robbie's facade, "what's the **matter** with you?"

Tori boar a harsh tone into Robbie's soul and he shook in exasperation in spite of his weak self. Tori was right, but why was she hurting him. Robbie crunched his knuckles and turned around to face Tori, blowing up in a way no one has ever seen Robbie, "I'm afraid! Okay, alright, there I said it, I'm afraid!"

Tori blinked blankly in pure shock, gaping her mouth but only gibberish tumbled out. Robbie scoffed unlike his character, fuming still, "do you want me to cry, do you want me to tell the whole world I just can't fight Gerald King again... he's too skilled and mean. I couldn't match that."

"Yes you can!" Tori protested back and jabbed a finger at his chest, "you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it and beat that weenie! You can redeem your Hambone King title!"

"I never was the Hambone King!" He screamed back, his voice faltering in the end and he walked off to the side. Tori stared at Robbie with no words of encouragement coming to mind. Robbie pinched his furrowing brows to appease the aching in his head and breathed to tighten the thumping from his heart rattling in his ribcage. "Can we just... forget all about this."

Tori pouted her lip and frowned deeply, "why? You want the whole world to know you couldn't fight Gerald because you were too scared a-and nerdy?"

Robbie rapidly flickered from his distraught figure and became defensive, "whoa, nerdy?"

Tori shook her head, "sorry, it just-t slipped out, I-"

Robbie frowned, sinking back into his depression and Tori firmly gripped Robbie's shoulder, looking him dead in the eyes and setting the mood. "Robbie... you can't give up. You wanted to prove yourself from the beginning that you can show more talent than you let on, and you're **really good **at hambone... and you're just going to let some jerk take that away from you?"

He shuffled his feet and gulped. Robbie averted his eyes as he knew she was right, "...but-"

"Look," Tori interrupted absentmindedly, her determined smile fading, "although I'm training you to beat Gerald for your pride... this whole deal is really important to me.

"Gerald really was my world as we shared my most favorite talent. He was so nice and so supportive and we loved each other like... (the title of "boyfriend and girlfriend" twitched on her lip and she couldn't continue that thought.) I just couldn't accept the fact he didn't like me anymore and wanted to ruin me, and now that he's a bully, dominating with his hambone talent," Tori stopped talking. Her head was bent down, but she certainly wasn't crying. She had gotten over the loser years ago and abandoned her love for the intricate hobby, but she couldn't stand seeing him after so long. It flooded her with torturing memories of a better time that she never wanted to be apart of again. By this point, Tori's shoulders were bobbing up and down in fury and she detested herself for growing weak over something as dumb as hamboning.

Tori nearly chocked on her raspy breath when Robbie dropped his hands on Tori's shoulders and spoke up with a new found confidence. "I understand. It's the only way to get over your cheated past with the pest."-Tori's eyes glimmered under the porch light as Robbie went on- "I think you're right. If I really try and focus, I'll be able to beat Gerald King, the ultimate hambone player."

A grin spread across her lips and Tori playfully punched Robbie's arm. Robbie smirked, "now that we're over the bad script writing, let's get hamboning!"

Tori sniffed jokingly like she had been bawling and laughed as they returned to the house to start practice.

*Cue Hambone Montage!*

* * *

Robbie stretched out his arms and spine, kicking out his legs and shaking his hands frantically, all pumped for a mere section of his training. He didn't quite understand why "running a 'marathon'" would help in any way with his hamboning, but after looking down at his tight clothes and scanning Andre in the same attire, he was pleased nonetheless. _Bro_ montage!

Tori walked down the main hall of Hollywood Arts in jolly spirit with it dying shortly behind her; Jade was dragging her feet numbly, clutching the stop watch to 'help'. "Alright, are you ready!?" Tori blew her whistle enthusiastically.

Robbie jerked his face in bemusement and tried to say something, but then Tori dismissed him and commenced the race. With just a short air of hesitation, Robbie skipped on his feet, hurdling to a running pace and actually bypassing Andre. An impressed smile flickered on his lips and he skidded to a halt a lot faster than he expected. It was a meaningless competition, but he actually accomplished it! Tori cheered and Jade shrugged, producing a tiny smile. Andre caught up to Robbie as he was in the midst of cheering and gave him a hearty hug. Robbie was washed with glee as he chortled with Andre and Tori and Jade coming up. It was the first time he had ever won a running competition!

"Okay, on to the next simulator!" Tori announced and dragged Robbie and Andre to the Black Box Theater.

Robbie had been stupefied as he was dropped unto a plastic black chair and sitting side-by-side with Tori. Robbie mumbled dejectedly, "where's my medal or-or-"

"Okay, timing hambone, you and I are going to hambone the fastest we can while Andre times us," the words tumbled out of Tori's mouth like they were one, large word, and Robbie was baffled, but his hands moved willingly as a steady beat played.

"Yeah, go Robbie!" Andre exclaimed cheerfully, half of the hamboning session already through. Robbie was stunned at his flying hands and constantly looked back at Tori's hamboning and his.

"Okay done!" Tori declared and Robbie almost fumbled with his folded hands. Andre clicked the stopwatch off and smiled.

"Looks like you did it in 1 minute and 26 seconds!"

Both of their mouths dropped open. That fast! Robbie couldn't believe his ears; he was elated to have accomplished such a far away goal. Maybe Tori was right, he could actually compete against Gerald, be an actual threat in his eyes. Just like the last simulator, this one ended brusquely and Robbie didn't have enough breath to ask for a break. In fact, he was pretty tongue tied as the next person entered the Black Box Theater to aid him.

"Hi!" Cat said upon passing the swinging doors, her sunny personality layering around her ballerina get-up. Tori wiggled her fingers in a wave joyfully and Robbie had to bite his tongue to cease the muttering.

"Let's hambone, woo-hoo!" she chanted in her most professional voice she could pull off. Robbie was tripping over his own words as the dainty red-head sauntered past the two and faced him directly, exuding confidence.

"Wait, why is Cat here?!" He blurted with a pitchy crack in his voice. Now Robbie really hated himself. He knew in his heart that he was becoming exceedingly better with the hamboning, but there was an unfortunate no-doubt thought inside of him the nervousness from what Cat brought to him. He didn't want to shame himself, as he negatively thought he would, but he also didn't want to crumple under that one girl's appearance. Robbie grimaced. How could he help himself!

"Um, I don't think I can go on," Robbie murmured without his mind's consent, crunching his fists. Why was he rambling on again.

"Robbie," Cat stretched in a whiny-like voice, wanting to help.

Tori came forward with a very simple answer, given the obliviousness she has conflicting in Robbie's head, "Robbie, I figured you needed an authentic beat to focus on since it's going to be silent when you hambone. To my surprise, you seem to be able to focus really well on Cat's tap dancing, so I thought she could help since it would benefit the both of you."

Robbie hitched jerkily, grimacing with a sharp shade of scarlet burning over his face. If Tori had inspected that more carefully, then she would have known Robbie couldn't help himself when watching Cat. He liked her a lot.

"Yeah, you ready?" Cat snapped him out of his thoughts and Robbie gulped to cover up the cumbersome tension seemingly floating around him.

"'kay," and with that, Cat counted off and tapped her heels in a simple routine and Robbie copied her. As she went through her rehearsal in her mind, she played it out slowly for Robbie until they both caught speed and were zipping through it. Cat smiled giggly at Robbie and his mouth twitched to a side smile back. Not only was his luck for practicing with Cat happening, but his tense nerves smoothed out and his confidence was restored.

After a period of hours, Robbie had dizzying trouble wrapping his head around the hamboning events that occurred that day. Uninformed and rushed into a new tactic, he at first scoffed at the ludicrous of how it was dealt, but was surprised when the challenges were working. He had hamboned for speed against a stop watch, for agility against pelting eggs via Sinjin, for focus with Cat's tap dancing, and for the sweet redemption that the training would pay him (he still had no idea why he had to run, though). Now, as Robbie sat in his room, massaging his hands leisurely and waiting for his digital clock to flip for the designated time, he was preparing his hazy mind for the battle of a life time._ Okay, it's not that big, but it means a lot to me!_

* * *

It was time. The gang, minus Tori and Robbie, were standing around, mumbling about other topics to keep their spirits high, but the loud and obnoxious Gerald boasted about his greatness, redirecting the others about what's to come.

"Ooh, I'm getting nervous," Cat bit her lower lip and fiddled with her folded arms.

Jade twitched her lips involuntarily and looked at her, "two nerds are going to compete with each other by slapping themselves. I think we'll be okay."

Andre cleared his dry mouth and rubbed his hands together, "well where's Rob, he needs to get here now."

"Hey losers!" Meryl suddenly shouted over the other spectators to the grouped gang. They all turned around with abhorrence and Gerald and Meryl shot glares in equal emotion. "Is the dork coming or did he chicken out?"

"Hey, I know Robbie, and he'll be here, you can bet on that!" Andre howled back, turning the two boys with a sneer.

Beck tapped Andre's shoulder and leaned in to a whisper, "do you really think he'll show up?"

"I have no idea," he replied back with less force and the group (besides the stubborn Jade.) shuffled uncomfortably.

"Hey Gerald!" Everyone spun on their toes and stretched out their necks to follow Robbie and Tori walking into view, Robbie gripping a serious face as he met eyes with the guy he could call his enemy.

Gerald almost laughed when he saw Robbie acting brave, but then an eyebrow shot up in intrigue and he licked his teeth at the sight of the instinctive brown headed-girl shadowing herself behind the proclaimed king. "Well, well, well... Tori Vega," he said, abandoning his cruel intentions of crushing Robbie. This was a personal thing. "Didn't think I'd see the likes of you around a hambone competition."

Tori bowed her head shamefully at his scorn, clutching Robbie's coated arm and digging her teeth into her lip. _No time to keep holding on. Remember, this is for Robbie, _she reassured herself strictly, then flipped her head up, twisting her lips in a snide smile, "well, well, Gerald King, I'm surprised you have the steel to face off against my boy."

He sneered, "please, I've already seen this loser hambone. He has zero talent, but even then, he's still a better hamboner than you."

The crowed 'oohed' with the gripping tension. Tori couldn't fight her jaw unhinging and the tears already gathering in her eyes. They weren't going to spill, though. "Oh Gerald, are you still a blind loser, having to resort to cheating when you know you aren't good enough, especially to me?" She shot through him and his knees buckled.

Gerald was growling intensely, a shadow casting over his shady appearance dangerously and he was ready to throw a punch. Meryl suddenly stepped forward before Tori's contempt could show physically, "shut up Vega! Don't worry my king, she's just being foolish."

Tori's eye widened captivatingly and she had to jab at his clingy friend too, "oh hey Meryl! I see you're still kissing Gerald's butt."

"Hey, hey that was a dare!" He barked back, stomping towards her and she growled and marched too.

"Whoa, whoa!" Andre and Beck hollered in panic and jutted their arms between the fighting pairs. Andre looked between the two, "can we just get to the actual hamboning!"

"Fine," Gerald remarked sternly, not ripping his glare from Tori away, "I was getting tired of this hoser anyway."

Tori narrowed her eyes to prevent tears building up and she walked back to Robbie who patted her back comfortingly.

"It's on!" Meryl announced and ripped off Gerald's jacket dramatically.

A thought flickered in his head and Robbie smirked, "yeah, it's on! Like a game of Mahjong!"

Gerald and Meryl hitched their heads back in bewilderment and shared a snicker as Tori lowered her voice at Robbie, "I told you to leave me with the smack talk."

Robbie frowned, but as the story needs to progress, he got over it and Beck snapped off Robbie's jacket. The tension rose again as the two boys took a seat on their crates, shooting nasty glares at one another.

Cat looked over at Robbie who was stretching out his arms and fingers, a knot looping her stomach out of nerves. She wasn't really sure where her mind was when she started strolling over to her friend, but was pleased to deliver courage as she dipped down to his level. "Good luck, Robbie," she had bid without planning, and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.

Robbie's face tinted pink and he smiled pleasantly as she returned the smile and walked back next to Jade. _Wow. _He was feeling a little jittery after not coming face to face with Gerald for so long. It was as if her contact had rejuvenated him. He felt empowered and half-smiled in determination towards Gerald.

"Are you ready?" Gerald barked.

Robbie chuckled suddenly, "I certainly am."

"Go!" Meryl announced loudly and Gerald's quick hands flashed over Robbie's spectacles before he could fully process the battle starting.

Tori fiddled her fidgety fingers over her folded arms, sneering at Gerald's unmistakably good talent she had fought against ever since she was little. He certainly _had _gotten better, and that was grinding at her nerves and anger. She couldn't stand to be in her past partners presence, but after assurance from Andre, she didn't want to miss the look on Gerald's face when Robbie broke out his skills.

Gerald was finishing up his routine when he shot Robbie one more glare and Meryl prepared to signal Robbie. He looked up at Tori for last seconds of encouragement and she jerked a hopeful nod.

"Go dork!" Meryl said and Robbie rubbed his hands feverishly together. He followed up by slapping around his body professionally, learning it best from his wonderful teacher. He was already wowing the crowd with his speedy claps and slaps climbing around his body and he swore he glimpsed a look of fret in Gerald's eyes. All of his friends were also cheering on Robbie, too, and his veins were pounding with excitement as he would segue into every new trick executing perfectly well. He could win!

"Go Robbie!" His friends and even some of the spectators chanted a spirited decibel so richly akin to a rhythm that added on to Robbie's blank tempo sweetly. He could smell the winnings, the love that would gush from his friends, the acceptance that he can be more than just a guitar playing baffoon.

Meryl had quickly fallen anxious for Gerald's turn and looked frantically over the crowd. They seemed to all be rooting for the nerdy kid, which really peeved Meryl off. He gnashed his teeth at the thought of his beloved king literally being shown up by a scrawny nerd over his most precious talent. Meryl had to think fast before Gerald would become too tense to paralysis. Meryl eyed back at a plate of sushi the owner lady had brought to them earlier. She was really impressed with Gerald's hamboning and offered them free food just as long as they mentioned her on the Jimmy Fallon show. Crazy asian lady! Meryl snapped his head harshly when he noticed he went off track and slyly reached down for a slippery sushi roll. He held it loosely between his thick fingers and cautiously examined the crowd to see if anyone was watching. When the coast appeared clear, Meryl casually tossed the sushi snack in Robbie's direction, flying between his flying arms and flinging to his eyes.

"Ahh!" Robbie grunted and collapsed to the ground as the sushi sauce burned in his eye.

"Yeah-ha! That's my boy!" Meryl laughed and took Gerald's triumphant hand for glory, having no shame in interjecting.

"Oh, Robbie!" his friends called in concern while the crowed "boohed", thinking he had misboned. Tori hastily rushed over to Robbie's side, but then spotted scraps of the sushi on the floor. She thought she saw Meryl shuffling suspiciously behind Gerald. She kneeled down and picked up the squished fish. Her mouth quivered open. The idea of him cheating to get his way was always expected, but Tori still felt bamboozled as she glared down at the raw fish. He faked his way to glory again. He ruined the life of another individual, her friend.

"Wait!" She shouted over their excited chattering. Gerald looked over at Tori with a teasing, pity gaze and she shoved her sushi filled hand out. "Robbie didn't mess up, Meryl threw this in the middle of his hamboning."

"No one saw that," Meryl defended himself. This tension, however, was locked between Tori and Gerald as old memories washed back into them.

Tori threw the sushi down with a jerk and peered back at Gerald through inevitably misty eyes. "You cheated," she remarked breathlessly, and Gerald scoffed that she was so taken aback.

"Still a sore loser, Vega?"

The words lodged into her throat and she blinked rapidly to prevent tears rolling down her cheeks. Gerald, her long time friend, cheated her again. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs back at the jerk, but her throat ached and she gazed back at the crippling Robbie.

Gerald scoffed again as he planned and motioned Meryl to leave in victory. The crowd's eyes followed as the king was preparing to leave, the rest of the gang silenced in sorrow. So that's how the story was going to end...

Robbie watched tentatively, propped on his weak elbows and on the brink of crying as Meryl slipped Gerald's jacket on him, practically laughing more at Tori than at himself. He lost! Robbie felt his face burn hot and he suddenly launched to his feet. "Tori! you can avenge me here!"

Tori spun on her heels in shock, now being speechless for the absurd idea. Still, she felt the tears swim in her eyes, "what?! I-I can't, I can't do it anymore, I-I-"

For some reason, her eyes wandered off to Gerald who had an interesting look on his face, but then suddenly Robbie touched Tori's shoulders, bringing her full attention. "You can beat him! Just remember when you trained me. Get lost in your talent, it'll be okay," Tori was dumbstruck with Robbie's seriousness becoming full affect. She suddenly didn't feel like crying anymore and settled into a calmer composure. Robbie gleamed a knowing smile, "it's time to let go."

Tori widened her eyes as he was right, then shook her head violently from a sudden wind whipping around her. If she was going to fight Gerald, she had to do it here and now! Her face sunk into an angry, but driven face and she swiveled towards Gerald. "Hey! I'll fight ya!"

Gerald bobbed his head in her direction, almost as if this were foreseen. There was no doubt, however, the intrigue and astonishment in his face, so he pulled back a crate and sat just feet from the girl he hamboned with long ago.

"Show me watch ya' got, Vega," he played in a hushed tone and all of Tori's friends stood back in the crowd, attention wrapped to see what will unfold.

Tori sneered, but quickly showed her skill and remembrance of hamboning, starting off with intense slapping and clapping and adding some professional toe-tapping. It was a brief performance, but it blew the audience and Gerald away. Already sizing up his competition by that one act, Gerald rubbed his hands together and stepped up the bar with intricate tricks and flipping, flying hand movements. He ended his very concise as well. By that point, it was clear this hamboning meant business. The audience was drawn as the fight went back and forth, both of the two stepping it up each time and building the tension.

By the time it was Tori's turn again, Gerald was already quaking. He felt his fingers beginning to cringe and fumble as he waited anxiously and Meryl grew reckless. He needed to save his king again, so with quick thinking, he reached down for another sushi roll and primed to aim. Robbie's eyes had coincidentally landed in that direction and he hollered Tori's name in alarm.

The whole gang shifted their eyes at Meryl and Cat unhinged her jaw angrily, then suddenly ran up to the henchman, in everyone's surprise. "Hey! Hey, hey!" She barked with this new found assertiveness and Meryl quaked irritatingly under her pitchy voice.

"What?!"

A dimply grin flickered over her features- a sign that she's been wanting to do this for awhile- and she grappled the tall guy's shoulders and blew in his face with all of her petite force and hopefully a pack of spit. Meryl muttered muffled profanity and shook his head in disgust with every "tornado revenge" she blew. Cat leaped back and giggled wildly, enjoying the thrill of the moment, "blow back! Haha!"

The gang had to have their own side moment as they clapped for Cat, obviously impressed, and they turned their attention back to Tori, who had continued her hamboning the entire time. She wrapped up her hamboning with difficult hand gestures and bopped the rim of her opened-circled mouth, producing a "bop" noise that was very popular in the hamboning community. The crowd respectfully clapped and Tori folded her arms at Gerald.

He bit his quivering lip, flicking and rubbing his hands, uncontrollably showing his agitation. Gerald took a lengthy, empty moment to make a move, and when he attempted a weak hambone, he slipped past his fingers and exclaimed his mess up loudly.

Tori pointed at him with overwhelming jitters. "You misboned, he misboned!" She declared contentedly and a large majority of the crowd started off cheering for the victor, but being a cruel people, they turned on Gerald and booed.

Gerald steamed under their insults and groped his jacket from Meryl. "Gammit Tori Vega! This is not over!"

Tori was a little hesitant over his belief, but she had to respond, "yeah it is, our stories don't typically pick-up!"

Gerald groaned that carried around the alley way and he and Meryl left the scene, repulsed by the cheesy glory. Yeah, that success was far from a dairy product. The crowd of Hollywood Arts students chanted Tori's name in spirit and Beck and Andre hugged Tori on the side (one for each boy.) and proclaimed, "cheers for the Hambone King!"

Robbie's face scrunched up 'till his eyebrows knitted together and he bunched up his jacket close to his chest. _What? Tori won... she-she always wins, though._

Tori saw the disappointed look on Robbie's bent face and stepped forward, "no... we won. We're both the Hambone King."

He shot his head up with glee and smiled, bringing her in a warm, friendly hug.

"Yeah!" Everyone cheered once again, the students departing quicker than the gang, and all of Tori and Robbie's friends hugged them fondly. Tori smiled the most out of the whole occasion- despite the hambone being about redeeming Robbie, his friends assured him he would be something in the eyes of those reflection judges (being that his hidden talent was already something to them)- and slipped inches away from the group for a moment. Tori was really, really glad to be relieved of that horrible part of her past. She didn't have to dote about Gerald's betrayal and her love for hamboning. She could finally move on, and you know, she was really glad she could have the help from her wonderful friends. All was good then, huh... well, as good as it can get for a poorly written script. :/

* * *

_Oh my gosh, freakin' finally! I finished this story! Don't read me wrong, I loved writing this story, but The Hambone King came out two weeks ago! This needed to be done ASAP. I hope people stuck around to read this, despite it being super long (sorry about that, I figured I could fit the rest of the story in one chapter). Sorry if this story also seems weak and sloppily put together in any way. I was really trying to bustle through this so I could have free time on my plate, haha. Anyway, hoped you like it and are still willing to read it. Please, also, review! :)_


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